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Souari Nut
Caryocar brasiliense
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An evergreen tall tree native to South America, cultivated only in botanical gardens in Japan. The fruit is a large, hard drupe that is edible. It is one of the representative tree species of the Brazilian cerrado (savanna).
Identification Points
- βLeaves are trifoliate compound leaves, oppositely arranged
- βLarge yellow flowers borne in racemes
- βFruit is a large, hard drupe
Habitat
South American cerrado (botanical gardens in Japan)
Season
Year-round (tropical)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf type
Compound
Habitat
Cultivated
Venation
Palmate
Petal count
Many
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Superior
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Stamen count
5
Phylogenetic PositionγγΏγΌγγγη§ β
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Malpighiales > Caryocaraceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (ca. 80 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Caryocaraceae belongs to Malpighiales. Its hard drupes are an excellent example of megafaunal seed dispersal, dependent on large mammals such as agoutis.
View on evolution timeline βSources & References
AI-generated, needs verification